Media mogul, Dr. Raymond Dokpesi, has demanded a minimum of N500 million and a retraction from the minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, to avoid a N5 billion suit for the listing of his name in the roll-call of alleged treasury looters recently published by the minister.
Dokpesi in a cautionary letter to Mohammed said the minimal demands he was making were to offset the harm done to his reputation by the inclusion of his name in the list. Dokpesi warned that failure by Mohammed to immediately pay him the money would lead to a court action in which he would demand a minimum of N5 billion from the minister.
In the demand articulated through Dokpesi’s lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN and copied to the attorney-general of the federation, the broadcaster said: “Contrary to your derogatory, disparaging, mendacious and unrestrained defamatory statements as published in various print, electronic and online media platforms of and concerning our client, our client has never been associated with the looting of the public treasury. Before the court where he is currently standing trial on trumped up charges brought against him by your same Federal Government, he has categorically and unambiguously denied the said charges. At the ongoing trial which has been stalled serially by the Federal Government with series of requests for adjournment, our client has neither been found guilty no convicted by the trial court or by any other court in Nigeria.
“The brazen defamatory statements/publications of alleged looting of the public treasury mentioned by you against our client are most clearly damaging and clearly rubbish the hard-earned reputation of our client. Our client has since received several and unending phone calls, mails and visits from relatives, friends and associates as well as other well meaning Nigerians who have ceaselessly called to express their shock over the vile allegations in the said publications.”
Upon the said damage to his reputation, Dokpesi asked Mohammed to make retractions in four national newspapers and pay him N500 million as minimal damages immediately and should he fail, he would proceed to institute a suit in which he would demand a minimum of N5 billion as damages. (Vanguard)